Buoyant beverage cans and the like



United States Patent Inventors Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee Ralph J. Stolle;

Dorothy J. Stolle, Lebanon, Ohio 657,321

July 31, 1967 Dec. 22, 1970 San Margale Farms (A division of R.J. StolleCompany) Lebanon, Ohio a corporation of Ohio BUOYANT BEVERAGE CANS ANDTHE LIKE 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 220/54, 220/68 Int. Cl. 865d 7/22,

[50] Field of Search 220/20, 68, 66, 54, 60

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,751,073 6/1956 Sheeran220/20X 2,864,529 12/1958 Henchert.... 220/68X 3,170,589 2/1965Winslow..... 220/66 3,272,381 9/1966 Bozek 220/54 3,305,368 2/1967Bourelle 220/20X Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Attorney-Melville,Strasser, Foster & Hoffman ABSTRACT: A can or container for foods,beverages or the like with a buoyancy chamber or flotation element, suchthat if the empty can or container is discarded on a body of water itwill remain afloat.

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INVENTOR/S RALPH JSraue a DOEOTHYJ Sroue, kygaddei, Zt

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tn/Wm ATTORNEYS BUOYANT BEVERAGE CANS AND THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION The invention relates to tin cans so called, in which foods orbeverages may be contained. It has been observed in recent years thatpicnickers and campers along the shores of ponds, rivers and lakes, andboaters who use bodies of water, habitually toss emptied cans overboard.This is particularly true of beverage cans. In some quarters it isconsidered a sport to shoot at the temporarily floating cans withpistols or rifles to sink them. Even though a can will eventually sinkeven if opened only at one end, it is a common practice to punch holesin both ends of the can so that the can will be sure to sink. The theoryapparently is that if the discarded cans sink below the surface of thewater, no litter has been created and the miscreant does not feel like alitterbug.

In the days when most cans were made of iron, this may have been truebecause the iron through prolonged contact with water gradually rustedaway and no particular problem was created. The situation has changedvery greatly with the advent of the aluminum can. When an aluminum canis discarded in a body of water and sinks to the bottom, it does notdisintegrate but remains intact substantially forever. It has beenfoundin some small bodies of water where this problem has been investigatedthat in a small pond there may be a layer of discarded aluminum cansseveral feet thick.

So far as is known, no one has heretofore attempted to solve the problemof pollution of bodies of water and littering of bodies of water withaluminum cans which do not disintegrate over a period of time, or evensteel cans, which in some water conditions may remain intact for manyyears.

SUMMARY The present invention contemplates providing cans with abuoyancy chamber or flotation compartment to the end that when cans areemptied and are discarded on a body of water, they will not sink butwill float. Thus they will gradually drift to the edges of the pond,lake, stream or other body of water, where they can be picked up anddisposed of properly. Furthermore, the fact that the cans will floatwill tend to call the attention of the miscreants to the fact that thecans should not be discarded on the body of water because they litter upthe body and present a bad appearance. This will, therefore, discouragethe discarding of empty cans on our lakes, rivers, streams and ponds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Y 1. FIG. 1. is a plan view of atypical tear top can.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the same taken in theline 2-2 of F IG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the same taken on theline 33 of FIG. I.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a different embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the same taken along theline 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing yet anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view on a reduced scale showing how theinvention is adaptable to a present day, conventional can.

FIG. 8 is a diametral cross-sectional view of a can end embodying theinvention prior to being assembled to a can body.

- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In its broadest aspects, theinvention contemplates the provision of a buoyancy or flotation chamberor element inside or outside of the can or container body, or on one orboth of the ends. The flotation chamber may be provided in aconventional three piece can, a conventional two piece can, or a two orthree piece can having a tear top. If the buoyancy chamber is to belocated in the end of the can, this may be accomplished by an additionalsheet of aluminum or any suitable .material to form a chamber. Thisadditional material can be crimped, welded, or fastened with sealantsduring the seaming or crimping operation, or secured tothe end or bodybefore or after assembly. If the buoyancy chamber is incorporated in thecan body, it may be formed of a suitable material so as to form aportion of the lining of the can. Sealants may be used where necessary,particularly if a nonresilient material is captured in a seam crimpingoperation. The particular dimensions of the buoyancy chamber will, ofcourse, be determined by the size and weight of the can to insuresufiicient buoyancy that the can will float with a portion thereof atleast exposed to view above the level of the water.

Referring more particularly to F I61 I, the end of the can is indicatedat 10. The particular can illustrated has a pull tab 11 secured by meansof a rivet 12 to a tear strip 13 so that when the pull tab 11 is raised,the tear strip 13 is broken out and may be torn out of the can forpurposes of dispensing the contents thereof. If it is desired toincorporate the buoyancy chamber in such an end of a can, it isaccomplished as shown in FIGS. 1-3. A second sheet of material, as forexample, aluminum, may be provided as at I4. The member 14 is spacedfrom the member 10 and suitably welded to the portion 10 along thebroken lines 15 shown in FIG. 1. The peripheral edges of the member 14may simply be crimped in with the periphery in the seaming operationwhen the can is assembled. It will be understood that an end, asshown inFIGS. l--3 inelusive, may be prepared and assembled and then beassembled to the can body 16in the conventional manner.

In FIGS. 4, and 5 and 7, a flotation chamber or buoyancy chamber isshown at 17. In this embodiment, the can body 16 has assembled to it aconventionally dished or domed end 18. It is only necessary to providean additional circular element 19 which may be assembled to the body 16in the same seaming operation during which the domed end 18 isassembled. Thereby, an air space or buoyancy chamber 17 is formed in thecan end. This particular embodiment requires a minimum modification ofexisting machinery.

In FIG. 7, a can 20 having an integral dished or domed end 21 is shownand here a member 22 may be welded or otherwise suitably secured acrossthe domed end to provide the buoyancy chamber 23.

In FIG. 8, a partially assembled can end is shown comprising theconventional domed element 24 and the flat element 25 creating thebuoyancy chamber 26 therebetween. The ends at 27 are shown as beingpartially crimped so as to retain the members 24 and 25 in assembly. Thecomposite of FIG. 8 may be shipped in that form for assembly at thefilling point. This is useful where the can to be filled has an integralend with the pull tab and tear strip in the integral end.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 contemplates the provision of the flotation orbuoyancy chamber 28 in the body wall of the can. The chamber 28 may beconstituted of a flexible impervious baglike member 29 which isassembled to the can during the crimping operation at 30. It will beunderstood that this bag may be annular, extending all the way aroundthe body of the can, or not, depending upon the volume of flotationchamber necessary to float the can. Further, it will be clear that theflotation element may consist in a similar member 290 secured outsidethe body of the container, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 6. It willalso be understood that instead of a bag 29 of impervious flexiblematerial, the body wall 31 of the can could simply be made of two spacedthicknesses of aluminum or any material as in the case of FIGS. 1, 2 and3 inclusive, and FIGS. 4 and 5. Flotation may also be provided by ablock of low density material like polystyrene, secured inside oroutside the container, as shown in broken lines at 30 in FIG. 7.

Many variations will occur to those skilled in the art with regard tothe location and manner of providing the flotation chamber. In somecases, cold welding may be used, and in others adhesives or heat seamingmay be necessary. It will also be understood that the flotation orbuoyancy chamber may be filled with solids if thought desirable.

ln-anyevent, no limitations are intended other than those which-arespecifically set'forth in the following claims.

We claim:

l. A beverage can and'the like having an end provide with a tearstripand 'pulltab'therefore, and having a'buoyancy element in said end overthe area thereof not occupied by said Y can and secured to the can bycrimping together with the can ends in a position to be undisturbed bythe opening of said cam-said buoyancy element providingsufiicient'buoyancy,

having regard for the weight of said can, to cause the can, after 5opening, to float with at least a portion thereof visible above thewater level.

i 3. A can according to claim 1 wherein a second layer is bonded to saidend outside the limits of said tear strip, and said end and second layerare crimped to the body of said can in assembly.

